RACECOURSE DROPS PLAN TO BUILD HOTEL IN GRANDSTAND

BOSSES at Ascot Racecourse have thrown out thier own bid for a hotel within the proposed new £200 million grandstand, saying concerns over its location would have been "unnecessarily delayed" the completion of the project.

BOSSES at Ascot Racecourse have thrown out their own bid for a hotel within the proposed new £200 million grandstand, saying concerns over its location would have "unnecessarily delayed" the completion of the project.

Initial plans for the redevelopment of the racecourse were submitted to Windsor and Maidenhead council in June 2002.

Planning permission was granted subject to a number of conditions, one of which was the resolution of local concern over the proposed hotel, which would have been on protected green belt land.

Now, before the final application was even considered, Ascot Racecourse has written to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to advise the planning committee that it is changing its current grandstand planning application, and removing the proposed hotel completely.

The reason for the removal, say those in charge, is that concerns about the green belt would have delayed the application and therefore unnecessarily delayed the new racecourse.

However, they have not ruled out submitting a new application for a hotel in another location in the near future.

Douglas Erskine-Crum, chief executive of Ascot Racecourse, said: "The redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse is vital to ensuring Ascot's standing as the finest racecourse in the world.

"During discussions with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead it has become apparent that, due to green belt concerns, the resolution of issues relating to the hotel will take considerable time and might delay our ability to

proceed with the redevelopment within our proposed timescale.

"Our overriding priority must be the racing operation.

"While we do not rule out incorporating a hotel at the racecourse in the future, we have decided to omit the hotel component in the current planning application and now hope to gain planning approval as soon as possible.

"Our aim is that the Royal Borough will reconsider the amended application later this summer.

"This would enable us to complete the redevelopment in time for the 2006 Royal Meeting, which has always been our priority."

He added that concerns over the location of the hotel had been "no surprise", but insisted that there was a "need and demand" for a hotel in the Ascot area,

But, he said, apart from these concerns, the overall reception for the redevelopment had been "positive" and support from the local community to move forward had been "extremely pleasing".

He added he remained "confident" that the original planned start date for the main redevelopment, October 2004, would still be achieved.

Architects and planners are already working on putting together a revised planning application which completely removes the hotel from the raceday hospitality facilities on the west-end side of the course.